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April 18, 2012

Sugarleaf- A Haven of Health and Foods that Nourish

Healthy Eating is Healthy Living. Who doesn't want to be healthy? Especially nowadays more and more chemically processed food and selections are available in the market. We say that we are healthy eaters just because we consume these drinks with milk and tea and those baked-not-fried chips. Well, not if there's a huge amount of sugar added into it, and not if the products were still artificially flavored and processed. I myself is guilty of that, thinking that these products are way better than others. I admit, I sometimes don't eat healthy.

It's just that sometimes, healthy eating is synonymous to sacrifice. Sacrifice on eating those boring looking and bland tasting edible things that you yourself can't even explain what that is. Another factor is the price of these organic and healthy produce. We are set back by the fact that organic/healthy food cost more than our "regular" meals.

Well, this is not the case forSugarleaf, a health haven that offers healthy and organic menu options without sacrificing the taste and flavors of each dish. As how they put it: "Unbelievably Healthy"

Named after Stevia, a plant known to have sweet leaves and sometimes used as a sweetener and sugar substitute, Sugarleaf defines the sweet and happy feeling you could experience in eating healthy.

Not to miss in Sugarleaf are their Goody Kefir Wraps all drizzled with authentic Goody Kefir dressing making it better and healthier.

Although the Smoked Fish Wrap had a sharper and distinct taste, the Chicken Wrap was light and flavorful. Yet, both wraps were equally good and filling.

Crabstick & Mango Goody Wrap (P188)

My personal choice was their Crabstick & Mango Goody Wrap (P188) which had chunks of fresh ripe mangoes, kani and cucumber. It was a great healthy twist to the classic california maki minus the heavy amount of carbs.

As thirst quenchers, we were served with theirGoody Kefir-chia Smoothies and Organic Soya-Chia Milkshakes.

I got to sample the Mixed Berry Smoothie (P150) which was really refreshing and perfect for the hot summer season.

Sugarleaf's sandwiches are all served with baked gluten free soy chips which I could munch on forever. I just love it! Healthier and even better. :)

And what is a healthy restaurant without salad. We got to sample Sugarleaf's Garden Greens (P238) which is a mixed salad of fresh crisp lettuce, strips of carrots, cucumber, red radish and beetroot that gives the whole bowl a playful and bright appearance.

It came with 3 different home-made dressings- Blueberry, Passion Fruit and Lemon Balm each with different level of tanginess on it.

Fettucini with Mango and Organic Pesto (P148)- freshly made fettuccine, infused with beetroot served with organic pesto and topped with fresh ripe mangoes

The moment I saw this dish, I thought it was some kind of stripped ham due to its color. I was surprised when told that it was actually fettuccine. The beetroot infused into the pasta dough gave its bright pinkish color making it more appetizing and enticing to eat.

The pasta was really good! It may look a bit dry, but believe me, the organic pesto gave all the flavors it needs. And the mangoes were like the cherry on top of this mouthwatering dish.

Sugarleaf also serves freshly prepared Healing Juices using a power juicer that retains all the natural nutrients of the ingredients. We sampled a concoction of Pineapple-Malunggay-Lemongrass drink that tasted healthy. Although no sugar was added to the drink, the pineapple made this drink refreshingly sweet.

We also got to tryJello's Coco-Kefir Ice Creamthat offers delicious flavor combinations which is perfectly suitable for the lactose-intolerant. Co-owner Mr. Angelo N. Songco who was also our host that day personally concocts the delicious ice cream flavors that are dairy free and uses coconut milk instead.

Vegan Vanilla Bean and Vegan Cherry-Pistachio Ice Cream

The Cherry-Pistachio and Vanilla Bean ice cream were both good, having natural flavors and creamy texture. It was like our regular ice cream with a subtle hint of coconut milk. Perfect to cap off our healthy meal.

Sugarleaf also has this mini -mart called Healthy Picks where locally-sourced organic produce are made available.

It was truly a remarkable experience for me dining in Sugarleaf. It has lived up to its standards of serving original and healthy dishes to its customers. I felt full after sampling the dishes but it was not the usual fullness I obtain from other restaurants. Moreover, I didn't feel any hint of bloatedness but rather felt light and re-energized as the food we consumed were all free from unwanted chemicals and toxins.

I may not go all-organic all the way but I could consider having "organic" days at least once in a while. Especially if the food I'd be eating are "Unbelievably Healthy" just like in Sugarleaf.

The irnoy is that, in order to stay healthy, you have the buy healthy foods--which are so darn expensive most of the time :(( Nevertheless, I'd love to try this out since I'm a health conscious person myself :)

I think one reason why people get turned off from healthy eating is because of the notion that healthy food doesn't taste nice, but looking at your pictures, it's obvious that healthy food can be yummy too.